Inspired You by Miss Mustard Seed – Book Review & Giveaway

Inspiration is a finicky thing. I don’t know about you, but seeing other people’s gorgeous rooms on blogs or in magazines can really do great things for my creativity. Those same rooms can also trigger a sinking feeling when I look around at the rooms in my own home that I haven’t decorated. I spend a lot of time feeling very behind.

I know that I can’t possibly be alone in feeling that way. In order to pull myself out of that valley, I do my best to push it out of my mind or use it as internal encouragement to work harder on my home. But, it also helps to believe that I’m not alone.

My friend Marian Parsons – you may know her as Miss Mustard Seed- has written a book on this very feeling. Her newly released book, Inspired You, details her start in decorating and gives you ideas and tips on how to move your own home forward.

I have read Miss Mustard Seed’s blog for many years now, but I never fully understood her internal gumption. In her book, she describes a moment when she’s sitting in her messy, in need of repair home with piles of laundry and two little boys when her mother calls. The simple question from her mom of, “How’s your day going?” sent her over the edge into a bawling mess (haven’t we all been there?). It was at that point that her mom told that Marian really needed to do something for herself, and she immediately pulled herself together and started making plans for a furniture painting business.

Her book spends some timing chronicling that period of her life and detailing the process she went through to turn her early mid-century home into the beauty that it is today. She tells us how to decorate around brightly colored plastic baby toys (just deal with them, since they won’t be in your home forever) and says that having a clean, tidy home will work miracles for the look of your rooms (I know Nate Berkus embrasses this sentiment as well).

Yep, as soon as I read the last page of her book, I turned to my kitchen and cleaned out a few cabinets and cleared off the countertops. She’s right. It feels amazing in there right now.

But it wouldn’t be Miss Mustard Seed without some amazing tips, tricks and tutorials. She details furniture waxing and paint stripping. She gives you a primer on yard sale and antique store shopping. She talks about what things you should include in each room to make them welcoming and warm for family and guests. And of course, she provides some awesome tutorials.

Inspired You would be the perfect holiday gift for those women in your life who could use a little encouragement. It’s available now as a hardcover book or as a Kindle edition. Or, you could just win one from me.

I have two copies of Inspired You up for grabs today! Enter to win by filling out the entry form below. Good luck!

*This giveaway is in no way affiliated, administered or endorsed by Facebook. Winner will be notified by email on 11/15/12 and will need to respond within 48 hours to claim their prize or another winner will be chosen. Winner must be 18 years of age or older and a US citizen in order to win. Winners are responsible for paying any necessary taxes on winnings. Alternate entry: email Lindsay@MakelyHome.com with entry information. Prize will be mailed by the sponsor and this blog owner is not held responsible if the prize is not fulfilled. A list of winners may be requested after the giveaway has ended. Questions and additional information can be requested by emailing: Lindsay@MakelyHome.com.

Lindsay Ballard is a former college mascot turned political geek turned DIY fanatic who is conspiring to live in a Technicolor dream world. Her designs are bold and graphic, while her spirit is fun and full of color. Lindsay chronicles her projects and design ideas here at Makely, where she shares daily tutorials and inspiration. Lindsay lives outside of Austin, Texas with her husband (Tom), children (Zack and Emma) and dogs (Jack and Duke).

This is how I feel every day… I become more and more despondent, and wonder if my house will ever really feel like “home” to me. Maybe Miss Mustard Seed and Miss Lindsay can help? I would love a copy of this book!

I have wanted a pantry for many years but have never been able to afford one. Since my husband never gives me a Christmas present this year I bit the bullet and used his credit card to buy myself one for Christmas. You can see the humongous pantry that I order on my facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/wanda.f.phillips . It is easier to get forgiveness than permission and in for a penny, in for a pound so I had built the largest pantry that would fit in my house. It very diffidently overpowers my dining room but I reassure myself that I will be so organized! For such a monstrosity it will have to have an unbelievable paint job. After scouring the internet for days I have found the most amazing paint and color on your page. It appeals to me on every lever and is truly a work of art. I thank you for sharing so much of yourself with the public! The pantry was mostly install yesterday and my husband when he came home from work looked at it very carefully and said “I like it”. So it will be a very special Christmas for me! Especially if you take the time to look at the color dresser I posted on your facebook page and help me with the color. Thanks, Wanda PS I would definitely love to win a copy of Mariana’s book